Spiced Green Beans
MASALA BARBATTI SABJI
-Recipe from Yamuna mataji
Here is a simple yet delicious way to cook green beans Marawadi style.
If you are a gardener, try growing Thompson and Morgan’s thin, long
asparagus beans; they most resemble the type used in India. Beans are
sweet and tender only when harvested immature and full of sugar. They
are best cooked within hours after being picked, as are peas. If you
are supermarket shopping, try to get locally grown, vividly green beans
that break with a snap. Some strains of beans still have strings down
the side of the pods, which should be pulled off.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 or 5
4 table spoons (60 ml) ghee or a mixture of light oil and unsalted butter
2 teaspoons (10 ml) black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon (5 ml) cumin seeds
¼ - ½ teaspoon (1-2 ml) crushed dried chilies
1 pound (455 g) green beans, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces
½ cup (120 ml) water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground coriander
1 teaspoons (5 ml) salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) sugar
1.
Heat the ghee or oil-butter mixture in a large heavy-bottomed
frying pan over moderate heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the
mustard seeds, cumin seeds and chilies and fry until the cumin seeds
darken and the mustard seeds pop and turn gray. Add the beans and
stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the water, cover tightly and cook for
10-12 minutes or until the beans are tender-crisp.
2.
Uncover, raise the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Raise
the heat and boil until the water evaporates and the beans sizzle in
the seasoned ghee or oil.